Amalraj bags crown

Anthony Amalraj defeated G Sathiyan 4-2 in an all-PSPB final to win the men’s singles title in the 77th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships at the Kotla Vijay Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.

PSPB’s Manika Batra won the women’s singles title, defeating Pooja Sahasrabuddhe, also of PSPB.

Amalraj and Sathiyan fought a hard battle but what made the ultimate difference was that the percentage game that Amalraj produced, driving well and executing his shots with pin-point precision.

On the other hand, Sathiyan seemed to be playing under enormous pressure and it was telling on his play.

Amalraj finally prevailed 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9 to lift the Maharaja Pithapuram Cup and take home a cheque for Rs 2.2 lakh.

In the women’s evet, Manika and Pooja, both playing their maiden final held her nerve at crucial junctures to claim the Travancore Cup with a 11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 7-11, 14-12 verdict. She received a purse of Rs 1.3 lakh.

Earlier in the men’s semifinals, Sathiyan upset Achanta Sharath Kamal 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3 while Amalraj dethroned Soumyajit Ghosh 11-6, 11-5, 5-11, 11-7, 13-11.
In women’s semifinals, Manika blanked Krittwika Sinha Roy while Pooja ousted Madhurika Patkar.

Agencies
Results: Men’s singles: Final: Anthony Amalraj (PSPB) bt G Sathiyan (PSPB) 4-2 (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9); Semifinals: Sathiyan bt A Sharath Kamal 4-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3), Anthony Amalraj bt Soumyajit Ghosh (PSPB) 4-1 (11-6, 11-5, 5-11, 11-7, 13-11). 

Doubles: Final: Abhishek Yadav/ Sudhanshu Grover (Raj) bt Arjun  Ghosh/ Anirban Ghosh (WB) 3-0 (11-4, 11-9,11-9); Semifinals: Abhishek Yadav/Sudhanshu Grover (Raj) bt Nithin Thiruvengadam (CB)/ Sourav Saha (PSPB) 11-9, 11-6, 11-2, Arjun  Ghosh/ Anirban Ghosh (WB) bt Ravindra Kotiyan/ Omkar Torgalkar (RSPB) 3-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12).
Women’s singles: Final: Manika Batra (PSPB) bt Pooja Sahasrabuddhe (PSPB) 4-3 (11-3, 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 7-11, 14-12); Semifinals: Manika bt Krittwika Sinha Roy (WB) 4-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7), Pooja bt Madhurika Patkar (Mah) 4-2 (8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7).

Doubles: Final: Krittwika Sinha Roy/Mousumi Paul (WB) bt Mouma Das/ K Shamini (PSPB) 3-2 (13-11, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10); Semifinals: Mouma/ Shamini bt Seraha Jocob/Maria Rony (KRL) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6, Mousmi /Krittwika (WB) bt Divya Deshpande/ Madhurika Patkar (Mah) 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.